Grace

It's okay to not be perfect. Really!

Everyone is human, with a sinful nature and makes mistakes. Everyone. 

But the great thing about that is, God's grace will cover all of our imperfections if we only accept his forgiveness and allow Christ to be our savior. 

http://sunnyskiies.tumblr.com/post/56739777491/spiritualinspiration-for-by-grace-you-have-been

Ephesians 2:8-9 says 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.'

The dictionary definition of grace is 'a manifestation of favor, especially by a superior'. (Www.dictionary.com)

God shows us his favor in forgiving us freely. Why on earth would he do that?  Because he loves us sooooooo much and wants to repair the relationship between God and man that were broken by sin. (John 3:16) He is willing to grant us favor in order so that we can know him better. 

He says 'I know you're a sinner. You've messed up. A lot. You aren't perfect. But I know that and I love you anyway. Please let me fix things! I'm the only one who can.'

But when we accept that grace, we have to leave it at that. We can't continue to try to get to God through our works. There is absolutely nothing that we can do to bridge the gap between us and God by ourselves. We can never be strong enough, good enough, loving enough, hard working- whatever it is that we try to be perfect at, we can't do it. We can never be perfect and trying to be perfect will only lead to a lot of hurt, discouragement and pain. 

Romans 11:5-6 says 'So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. (NIV)' 

We have to let grace be grace. We can't continue to live as though we are the ones that make the relationship right once we've accepted God's grace. Let him take care of making things right and just do your part- accepting his love and grace. 

~Moriah

Where is God?

Poem loosely based on 1 Kings 19:11-12 written 3/18/14

Where are you?

In the wind?

Whirling round and round

Filling ears with the lonely sound

In the earthquake?

Dizzying destruction and pain

Bringing nothing to gain

In the fire?

With it's dancing, burning flames

Not to be toyed with, not for games 

Wait! The quiet whisper

That I hear

Softly in my ear

Reassurance

When I fall to pieces

And the day ceases

Great love

The arms holding me

Gently, softly

The presence 

That is always there

Any place, anywhere

Is that you?

A thousand sleepless nights

That's a really long time to be patient! A thousand sleepless nights? That's the equivalent of 3 years of sleepless nights. 

Blessings asks what if that's what it takes for is to know that God is near. What if we have to be awake all that time to truly trust him and rely on him?  How you spend those nights plays a big part in how they affect you. Do you let the your mind go crazy and quickly get overwhelmed by the thoughts? 

Or do you spend that time talking to God, and taking every thought captive for him?  

It's a very hard choice, I know from experience! It's so much harder to choose to fight the thoughts and choose God over the thoughts that drag us down. 

2 Corinthians 1:9 has been one of my favorite verses lately. 

When things get bad, even to the point that you think you're at the end, God is there. He has the power to raise the dead!!! Everything that God puts in our lives is to teach us to rely on him. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us that God's power is made perfect in our weakness. He uses our imperfections for his glory, that other people may know and love him as well. God can use the sleepless nights to teach us, the bad things that happen to help us connect to someone else- the point is God is in complete control and everything is in his plan, and that plan is for the good. 

Our God is life and through him we can have life as well (John 10:10). 

But part of that life is being able to have faith in God and know that he uses the sleepless nights (Hebrews 11:6). 

Just hold on! God is there:)

~Moriah 

Isaiah 41:13

Jesus Paid it All

Hey! So I'm Olivia, and I'm pretty new to the whole blogging thing so don't judge too harshly:)


I'm a good friend of Moriah, and we became friends this summer on an extensive ministry trip called Operation Barnabas. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be stretched in their faith and be challenged to grow closer to God :)


Umm random fact just in case you were wondering... I'm a percussionist and was the only girl on my high school drumline all four years. And I love getting to play in my church worship band. :)


Speaking of which, this past Sunday I had to the privilege to play a certain drum called a cajo'n as part of the worship, and we played a very well known hymn which is also one of my favorites, called Jesus Paid It All. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38EVco7eba0


The chorus says,

Jesus paid it all,

all to him I owe,

sin had left a crimson stain,

he washed it white as snow.

And I love the imagery used here because it's such a true and vivid description of my own life and some of the things I used to give in to. And I think sometimes I'm tempted to believe that I'm still covered by that sin. I'm tainted by it or "stained". But I love the next line, he washed it white as snow, because it's a physical action of washing, cleansing, the act of complete forgiveness and removing of the effect of all past sin. God says "There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

Even if I can't forget what I've done, God has completely removed it from me. It no longer defines me. It's not even a part of me! "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalms 103:12

And finally I think the bridge of this hymn sums it up perfectly.

Ohh praise the one who

paid my debt and

raised this life up from the dead!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2Corinthians 5:17

-Olivia

Matthew 6:25-34

Journal thoughts on Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV 1984)

2/6/14

Vs 25 'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,'

Stop the worry before it starts. I (Jesus) don't want you to worry about anything. 

'What you will eat or drink; or about the body, what you will wear.' 

These are some things you worry about: food, health, weight, looks, clothes. Stop worrying!

'Is not life more important than food and your body more than clothes?'

If you have a heartbeat and are still walking this earth, you have no reason to be worrying. 

Vs 26 'Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.'

The birds don't do any planned or prepared work for food, but God takes care of them and feeds them. 

'Are you not much more valuable than they?'

We were made in God's image. We have brains, souls and free wills. God loves us and he will take care of us!

Vs 27 'Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?'

Are you God? I don't think so. You can't make things better by worrying!!

Vs 28 'And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin (vs 29) yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.'

What clothes you have aren't important! God clothes the flowers, he'll clothe you!

Vs 30 'If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?'

 God will take care of you! Your worry displays your lack of faith in God. 

Vs 31 'so do not worry, saying, 'what shall we wear?' or 'what shall we drink?' or 'what shall we wear?'  (Vs 32) For the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows you need them.' 

God knows all of the things we need in order to live. He doesn't want them to be our focus tho. He'll provide for us!

Vs 33 'But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.'

When we put God first in our lives, everything else that we need will be cared for by God. 

Vs 34 'Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.'

God is in control. Trust him with everything. The end. 

~Moriah

Isaiah 41:13